An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow. But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is … Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.
When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?
Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: “There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred.”
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I really enjoyed reading Karen Barnett’s novel, Road to Paradise! She did a great job creating unique characters and giving us the feeling of the 1920’s. Her research and great descriptions made Mt. Rainier National Park come alive. Highly recommended!
It’s long been a dream of mine to visit each and every U.S. National Park. When I learned Karen Barnett would be writing a series of books set in three parks around the time of their inception, I hastily added them to my must-read list. The Road to Paradise was my introduction to Barnett’s writing and admittedly I felt an instant connection with the author through her protagonist. Perhaps it’s because Margie and I share a proclivity for praising God as we explore His creation.
Margie, Chief Ranger Ford Brayden, and Mt. Rainier are the main characters of this story. How can a mountain be a character? God uses the mountain to woo the other two characters to Himself. In fact, you’ll find God on virtually every page—entering scenes by way of Margie’s words and thoughts towards Him, and indirectly in Barnett’s descriptions of His handiwork.
Weighty Christian themes are balanced by moments of levity as well as Margie and Ford’s blossoming romance. My first laughs came at Ford’s expense, because he was so irritated at having to accommodate a female in his ranks. As he began to appreciate her skills of observation and impressive knowledge of Rainier’s flora and fauna, I delighted in the playful banter they carried on for the remainder of the book.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to read the guest post Karen Barnett wrote about her research for this book, I hope you will take the time. Her personal experience as a ranger in Mount Rainer National Park as well as many of the historical details she gained through corresponding with a park curator, add to the story. I never questioned the historicity, merely the minute detail of Margie’s physical conditioning prior to her 14,411’ ascent. Nevertheless, I am absolutely looking forward to exploring both Yellowstone and Yosemite in Barnett’s forthcoming Vintage National Parks Novels.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel. This review is my honest opinion, and I was not required to write a positive review.
The Road to Paradise is a sweet, Christian, historical romance set in the Mt. Rainier National Park in the 1920s.
Margie’s dream has always been to work at Mt. Rainier National Park, and now she finally has a chance! But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden doesn’t know what to do with a female park ranger, and he is especially irritated at how she romanticizes the park. Doesn’t she know how dangerous nature can be?
When I first started reading this book, I was in college studying literature and literary periods. And oh, did this book delight me then! The main characters seemed to represent some of the exact things we were studying, romanticism and naturalism, and the author pitted them against each other via the characters’ squabbles.
Margie represented the Romantic Period, and as such, she had a Romantic view of nature and spouted off Wordsworth, Thoreau, and other Romantic writers at every opportunity. She was all about how beautiful nature was and the God who created it that way. She romanticized it, putting herself in danger several times when exploring Mt. Rainier.
Ford represented Naturalism, the view of nature following the Romantic period that said that nature just existed (forget the beauty), God was apathetic, and both would just as soon kill you as let you live. This view came from Ford’s experiences, namely, his father’s death which was caused by nature. And so when he meets Margie, with all of her romanticized ideas of how nature and God are so wonderful, it drives Ford crazy, especially when Margie puts herself in danger because she doesn’t have any respect for how deadly nature can be.
I just love that the author put that in the book.
Of course, there was another plot running alongside the one I mentioned. There was a romance, a competition for the ownership and use of the national park, and a dastardly ex-fiance. That part of the story was also done well and was enjoyable. I really enjoyed the sweet romance.
This book was an interesting, clean, Christian romance, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated to write a review.
This was a fun foray into a time period that I’m not as familiar with. I loved the history and spiritual messages, written with a light hand, that the author was able to incorporate into the story. At the same time, it included enough suspense that it kept me on the edge of my seat. And the romance? Lovely!
I have heard wonderful things about Karen Barnett’s writing and purchased a copy of this one back when I was at FRS last year, but sadly it took me until just now to finally get to read it. Wow! What a fantastic story! I must now go out and get her others 🙂
This was the perfect camp read. I could picture myself laying in a hammock, hearing the birds chirp while watching the squirrels scurry about. Yes, there was plenty of action and intrigue to keep the pages turning, but I also loved the moments where the author took the time to appreciate God’s creation through the awed eyes of the characters. I confess I am not a good camper. I like my bed and private bathroom. BUT I like to go for walks on nature trails–and when I used to live a short walk from one, I enjoyed finding a quiet place there for devos. There is something unexplainable about the closeness with God one feels when standing in the middle of woods along a gentle stream. It’s no wonder the setting in this novel had me fully captivated and wanting more.
I also adored the characters and their arcs in this one. Margie came from wealth and prestige, yet it was obvious that her heart was in the national park. I could relate to her fear of heights though, which made a few scenes rather relatable even as they were comical. Ford was understandably skeptical of her in the beginning, but he still treated her with respect and was willing to change his mind about her. He also had a lot that he was dealing with internally but it made him a stronger person in the end.
I don’t even have all the words to say how much I adored this novel. I can’t wait to read the other ones in this series! Historical Fiction fans and those who love the great outdoors–you need to read this one too!
Its set in 1927 in Mount Rainer National Park….. it has terrific detail about the early history of the national park system and what it was like to be a woman trying to find a foothold. I loved it! Lots of historical detail and a slow-moving but gentle romance. It was perfect holiday reading!
My biologist’s heart did triple flips throughout the pages of this one.
“No jewels could compare to the beauty of God’s creation”
How true these words sound! And how easily we ignore this and see nature only as something to take from without leaving any scars.
Well, if it depends on Margie Lane, people will learn to see more to life than what can benefit their wallets. Hopefully, they will see the heart of God and all His glory. Glory and majesty reflected throughout the untamed wilderness, which can hold surprises in all shapes and sizes if we would only open our hearts to it. Margie’s experience with nature might come mostly from her books, and she might be at the park to actually escape the suffocating grip of her former fiancé, but she believes she’s been given a vision and purpose, and she’s determined to stay faithful to it. Even if scoffed by a bullheaded ranger.
Ford Bradley is mountain. Born and raised at the feet of such glorious view, he knows its wonder but also its danger. After an accident has taken his father’s life, Ford is determined to remain in respect and fear of the wilderness and to dutifully accomplish the big shoes he now has to fill without seeing another life out at risk. He loves the park but knows too much hurt can come alongside the pretty views. And nothing seems able to change his mind. Not even a Muir-quoting, plant-obsessed naive girl who insists on painting poetry around everything she sees.
“Resources against preservation- it’s a war that shall tear our state apart”
When Margie and Ford see their beloved park at risk in the hands of those who want progress without weighing costs, how far will they go to preserve what is immaculate?
And until when can their hearts stay safe from the budding romance that is gentle as a petal, but as loud and sure as roaring waters cascading down a river?
Life can be as unpredictable and uncontrollable as nature. What these characters will need to find is a foundation as unshakable as the mighty Mount Rainier. And undaunted faith to cross valleys, hills and rivers.
The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett is a lovely glimpse at Mount Rainier National Park in the late 1920s. Margie Lane, the daughter of a senator, is a budding naturalist who comes to work at the National Park. Ranger Ford Brayden has lived his entire life on the mountain. The two clash, then join forces to keep a villanious businessman from destroying the park they both loved.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were unique, as was the setting. Barnett’s descriptions of Mount Rainier made me want to plan a visit to see this beautiful place. I look forward to reading more from this author!
The year is 1927 and the National Park Service is in its early beginnings after President Roosevelt declared that public lands should be preserved for future generations. Ingénue Margie Lane arrives at the Mount Rainier National Park headquarters looking for a job among the all-male ranger staff. The daughter of a wealthy senator, she’s naïve, untested, and intent on driving her boss, Ford Brayden, crazy. Her love of nature books and her ability to spout poetry at the snap of a finger sends Brayden seeking any excuse to rid the park and the mountain of her. She will never fit in—Ranger Brayden plans to prove it. Miss Lane and the burly ranger are the perfect pair for a romantic showdown and Karen Barnett, author of The Road to Paradise, does not disappoint. Readers will fall in love with the whimsical girl and lose their hearts to the self-made mountain man.
A former park ranger, Barnett creates forest scenes with her keyboard. In this latest novel, her love for this national park shines through. Readers will find themselves drawn into the serenity of virgin woods, anticipating wildlife within the forest’s bosky depths, and sensing the tranquility the mountain provides as the heroine seeks to draw closer to her creator.
I’ve read all of Barnett’s previous novels and purchased this book anticipating yet another enchanting tale. I enjoyed it so much I read it twice. I can’t wait for the next in the series–Where the Fire Falls.
This is the first novel I have read by Karen Barnett, but I can assure you it will not be the last!
Set in 1927, Margie wants to be a ranger but societal restrictions on what is expected of young women, especially the daughter of a senator.
Undaunted, Margie accepts a position as a naturalist, working with the rangers of Mount Ranier. Chief Ranger Ford Brayden isn’t so sure about Margie’s presence at the park and he certainly doesn’t have the accommodations for a young unmarried woman.
When developers move in, wanting to change the beautiful park in to a tourist attraction, Ford and Margie join forces to stop them. Mt Ranier is a beautiful place, made all the more beautiful because it is undeveloped.
The author, a former ranger herself, writes so descriptively you can almost smell the snow and ice!
I enjoyed reading this historical romance. Margie is a romantic who used her Father’s connections to get a job at Mt. Rainier National Park even though she has little experience. The Ranger, Ford is haunted by the death of his father and has little use for Margie invading his park. Margie’s ex fiancee has commercial plans for the park and is hoping to win her back. There are few surprises and the story moves along in expected ways. The author does a wonderful job with place and time setting. Her descriptions of the park make you feel like you are there. The book was a quick and enjoyable read.
I liked this book. It is a well-written story, and I could imagine at times that it was like an old black-n-white movie playing out as I listened to it (Audible Escape). I liked the reader (Ann Richardson), although her voice for Margie bordered on sounding too juvenile sometimes. I liked the clear message about God’s love and the positive message of His role in creation.
I wanted to give this book 4, or even 5 stars, but I can’t. There’s a line in the book that refers to someone becoming a Christian. The only problem is, there’s absolutely no mention of Jesus (or Christ), no mention of Jesus dying for our sins, of our need to accept His free gift of salvation, no mention of the need for forgiveness of our sins, or even a mention of sin. There were a number of scriptures referenced. God was mentioned. Belief in God was mentioned. But Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father [God] except through Him. If an author is going to make someone becoming a believer in God an integral part of the storyline, then I expect to see a clear cut path of how this happened (or didn’t happen) to be written in as well. It is not enough to just have that character begin praying to God as a sign of Christianity. (The author should look up James 2:19). If this aspect of the story had been better defined, then I would’ve given a higher rating.
I will be reading the rest of the series. I just hope I don’t keep encountering this issue.
Loved this historic inspirational novel! The setting of the first in the Vintage National Parks series sets the tone for the next two books, and the story and characters made me feel like I was reading a Grace Livingston Hill novel! Highly recommend for anyone interested in any of the above!
I love our National Parks and this vintage look at how things were one hundred years ago in Washington State was very absorbing! The characters were engaging and interesting!
Great historical fiction set in beautiful Mount Rainier National Park.
Romance in 1920s Mt. Rainier National Park
This is a clean and Christian romance that takes place in the late 1920s in the beautiful Mt. Rainier National Park. This is a sweet romance, a history lesson, a lesson in mountain ecology and a statement about protecting our wild places all rolled into a very nice story. This is the only novel in the series that I have read and I plan on reading the others. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Love this series set in the early days of the great American national parks!
I loved the setting and the people that filled this book. We don’t realize how difficult the park service cause was before enough funds were available. The discriptions of the views were enough to make you want to go and see them for yourself.
Enjoyed this book. Nice story.
I thought this book was fresh and engaging. The hero and heroine had their issues and weren’t always so likable but it made them memorable. The interesting time period, amazing setting, mixed with glamor, art and mystery all made the book irresistible. The Karen Barnett knows how to write! I will continue to anticipate her novels.